Freedom from prison through compassion

"I started writing to Anna, and that was really what got me through [prison]. She helped me to the point where I wanted to get out of prison and just help her, and give back to what I was given. What I was given allowed me to live in that environment and be free."Kristopher

Our Mission

Our mission is to offer healing and hope by living and teaching compassion, especially to the disenfranchised and people in prison.

We have been visiting with and writing to people in prison for 23 years. We have worked with hundreds of Arkansas inmates, and have sent out more than 800,000 copies of healing newsletters to inmates and people in the free world.

What We Do

23 years of healing

200+ Issues of the Dharma Friends Newsletter have reached more than 800,000 people worldwide

48,000 letters written to people in prison

718 YouTube Subscribers worldwide

300,000 meditation video views

46 kids have taken the "Letters from the Inside" workbook program

100 people in 3 prisons are currently enrolled in the Compassionate Communicate Course

What others are saying about Compassion

G.S., Rosesharon, TXI recently found myself in lock-up for fighting. Underneath the mattress I found Issue #177 Chapter 12 "Anger". Wow, how profound and appropriate. Being unfamiliar with the booklet I gave it a whirl. I read it over and over, and ended up meditating the whole time in the hole. As much as I wanted to keep the issue, I left it right there for "whoever". So thank you for the insight. Please send me more of those booklets.

William, Chowchilla, CAI am writing to let you know we who are incarcerated deeply appreciate your newsletters and moral/spiritual support. I have been studying Buddhism for 1 ½ yrs. and took my formal precept vows on July 21, 2014.I am blessed with a great job with this institution’s engineers. We have an awesome sangha that during the service includes Theravada, Mahayana, Zen, Nichiren traditions as best we could as time will allow.My studies and meditations are growing very well. I am in a room with 7 other people who communicate properly and we respect each other. I am content. I apply my practice daily as prison is a wonderful training ground. Thank you for all you folks do.

Charles, Grady, ARI would like to say thank you for the newsletters every month. They really do a lot for me in my walk with Christ. I love reading them. It is a true blessing to be able to receive such material. Please update my subscription for this material…My prayers are always with you. Thank you, and god bless the wonderful Job youn’s all do for those in need.

Z.L. King, Galesburg, ILAs a PRISONER that has spent over 47 YEARS in PRISON, as a FIRST OFFENDER, I consider myself RICHLY BLESSED to have WONDERFUL PEOPLE, like YOU, as an active part of my life. GASSHO & METTA.

Zackery, Tucker, AR- Compassionate Communication participant All of this [style of communication] is new to me. But I am very grateful for this class. I am seeing just why I lost my wife. I was a jerk. I didn’t care about her thoughts or words. I only cared about what I wanted. I can see now that a lot of what I said and done most likely hurt her very deeply.I was truly a master of stonewalling. I never wanted to hear what she had to say, because I always felt it was just another one of her excuses. Now I see all along it was truly just me.